Ground clearance

[Garf_sv]

How do

How much ground clearence at the center does a Chimaera have?

I was daft when buying a house by not considering my intended TVR purchase. I am concerned that I might have snookered myself with a dirty great big incline that seems to love grounding cars on. where the driveway meets the pavement.

DIY tastic time ahead I feel with a pumatic hammer to flattern the bugger. (just don't tell the council)

[hut49]

About 11.5 cm (give or take a bit depending on suspension set up). From exprience usual grounding points are the twin tail pipes - just after they split.

[Garf_sv]

Right... Where is my plank of wood the same length as the wheel base of a Chimaera. My new neighbours think I'm odd for standing looking at my drive for 3 hours with a tape measure

[parrot of doom]

Depends on how obvious it is, but I'd be tempted to make a small adjustment to the angle by using ready-mix concrete to build a small slope on the pavement up to your drive.

[harrow_chim]

I have a similar problem with my driveway being on a slope. Before I bought the car I measured the clearance,the wheel base and the front/rear overhangs. Then I made up a precision template ( 3 bits of wood nailed together) and carefully tried it at the top and bottom of the ramp to make sure it would all fit. The neighbours always thought I was mad and this just confirmed it! The cats thought it was fun though!
In the end I had to add acouple of strategically placed paving slabs half way down the drive and attack the kerb stones with an angle grinder (don't tell the council).
It just about works but since having Nitrons fitted there's a bit less clearance and the bolts holding the drivers seat in place catch on the top of the kerb if I have a full tank of Optimax.
Must get around to adjusting the ride height again!

Nick

[Garf_sv]

It's just the sharpness of the and change in the incline that worries me.

The neighbours recon that the previous owner had "problems" with their Clio. But I figured out if I come at an angle I can get on no problems for my current car.

I have waited a long time for a TVR and I am not going to let a small matter like solid concrete, tarmac, trigonometry and councils stand in the way.

[razorman]

For the same reason, don't go on the Isle Of Wight ferry to Yarmouth at low tide

[ausboy]

Have just bought my first TVR and didn't even think about this as an issue - scraped the exhausts on first drive into my garage! Is this a fact of life with TVR ownership (speedhumps are also looking bigger) and how much damage can the exhausts usually take?

[big_treacle]

Yeah, you have to be a bit careful with speed bumps. Mine car has been lowered a bit at the back so now its even worse! Haven't trashed it yet, but it makes a properly scary noise if you clip the ground at speed and your roof is off.

[jem]

parrot of doom said:

Depends on how obvious it is, but I'd be tempted to make a small adjustment to the angle by using ready-mix concrete to build a small slope on the pavement up to your drive.

I did a variation of that with bricks leading into the garage.

J